


Going Native is my Job

by ChangeTheCircumstances



Series: The Relationships of James Gasciogne [1]
Category: Atomic Blonde (2017)
Genre: A study of their friendship, F/M, Gen, James and David in Berlin, Pre-Movie, more of a theoretical character study on David Percival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 15:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11739987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangeTheCircumstances/pseuds/ChangeTheCircumstances
Summary: It's a question that David knows the answer to but he asks it anyways. At the very least he can fantasize about the wanted outcome.





	Going Native is my Job

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic studying the relationship between James Gasciogne and David Percival. You don't have to read the other fic but there are references to each other made in both of them. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy :)

“It looks terrible,” muttered James.

“Helps to fit in when I’m in the East. Or would you prefer to do the border hopping?” David grinned.

James simply cocked an eyebrow. “If you’re not careful our superiors are going to think you’ve gone native.”

“We’re spies,” laughed David. “And I’m undercover. Going native is my job.”

“Pretending,” said James.

“Yes, of course. Pretending to go native,” David corrected. “And speaking of that pretending, I have a contact tomorrow that we’re to meet.”

“Where?”

“Grunewald Forest,” grinned David. “We’re going on a hunting trip.”

“And what exactly are we hunting?”

“Why, the most dangerous game of course,” said David. His smile grew possibly even wider. “After all, that’s the trademark of being a spy, isn’t it? God makes some men poets. Some He makes kings, some beggars. But us and the other invisible players of the Cold War? He made us hunters and our life has always been one prolonged hunt.”

Finally James cracked a smile and laughed. For David, it was that smile that grounded him. He still didn’t know for sure when it had happened. He certainly hadn’t started out this life because of a lack of patriotism. He’d once been one of the most patriotic, rule-abiding men the crown had ever seen with his good little hair cut and welcoming eyes and innocent expressions.

If someone asked him for a date, David couldn’t have given one. He didn’t know when things like Queen and Country had begun to mean so little. The realization had of course been gradual but by the time it had become conscious he’d had no idea what could have sparked it other than that it had to be connected to Berlin in one form or another.

But he did know why he stayed. Seeing James smile like that, he knew full well.

 “Quoting smart works of literature while looking like that? I don’t think I’ve seen anything more amusing,” chuckled James.

This time David quoted from Macbeth. It didn’t quite apply to the situation but then, he did it more to get a reaction out of James than anything. “Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.”

James laughed again, the exact reaction David had hoped. “Perhaps you were that before but the haircut has most assuredly destroyed your look of an ‘innocent flower’. If anything, the reverse is more accurate.”

David grinned in response. “Just wait until after this hell is done with. It’ll grow back and then I’ll be the image of a fucking perfect operative for the Queen.”

“Not with that mouth you’re not.”

“Haircut or not, I’ve always had this mouth,” said David. “I know because you once told me you loved it.”

“Did I?” asked James with a sly smirk. “I can’t remember.”

“Well, I could always remind you.”

“As amusing a thought as that is, isn’t there a hunt we need to attend to tomorrow?”

“We could always postpone.”

“Not a chance David. Now, give me the details.”

David gave a disgruntled grumble and finally passed the information over. He resisted the urge to bring up Broughton. There was really no reason to and they only seemed to get into fights when they did. The last time David had asked about her James had mentioned his plan to marry her.

That thought had never fully left his mind and was still very much present now. James had of course said David would change his mind once he met her but he doubted it very much. Instead, he decided to stear the conversation in a different direction and asked a question. It was one that he already knew the answer to but at least he could pretend, pretend that Broughton hadn’t gotten between him and his best mate and that James wasn’t such a fucking good guy.

“What if we just left?”

Well, at least David now had the image of James literally snorting whiskey out his nose. He would definitely hold on to that image if he ever had a need to embarrass the man.

“What?”

“You heard me,” grinned David, leaning in close and dropping his voice low like the Chief could hear them. “You and me. We get in a jeep and we just drive and keep on driving. I even know who we could use to stage our deaths so they wouldn’t come after us.”

David held his breath. He looked at James and waited, waited for the answer that he knew would never come despite all that he had ever hoped.

And then James laughed again and David slowly released all the air through his nose.

“David Percival, I do believe that is the best lie you’ve ever told. I think you’d make an excellent spy.”

He smiled and quickly told his second best lie in that act as James bought it, now more focused on wiping away the whiskey that had spewed out his nose.

“Still, it’s an amusing idea.”

“Amusing but not very realistic. If they ever found out you’d be branded a traitor.”

“Excuse you but we would be branded a traitor. In this hypothetical situation, you’re right there with me.”

“Of course, how could I forget,” laughed James. “Imagine the scandal of that. In the middle of the Cold War Gasciogne runs off with Percival. I think it would cause poor old Eric Gray a heart attack.”

“No loss there.”

“Not at all,” James joked and this time David’s smile was genuine. Even excluding the anger and dashed hopes, he couldn’t stay mad at James for long.

Even if they couldn’t just fuck off to who knew where, at least David knew James would make it out of this stunted war alive. There wasn’t a better agent than him.

Maybe his sweetheart would to. Maybe David would finally meet the infamous Lorraine Broughton if he survived. He wondered if she’d accept James’ offer, if he’d end up having to play best man for his friend. The thought was simultaneously pleasant and bitter.

David stood up and clapped James on the back. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow friend.”

“Good night David.”


End file.
